Ned O'Keeffe
Question:196 Mr. N. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will consider allocating an additional milk quota to a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [3938/03]
Written Answers. - Milk Quota.
The allocation of the balance of the Agenda 2000 milk quota to certain categories of small and medium scale milk producers has been completed and applicants have been notified of the outcome in their cases. The person named submitted an application in relation to this quota under the farm modernisation scheme category. Unfortunately, as the conditions of the scheme were not satisfied an allocation was not made. Notification to that effect was sent to the applicant.
An appeals procedure exists in relation to this scheme and the person named has now submitted an appeal. The assessment of appeals will be based on recommendations from the milk quota appeals tribunal. When the appeals process is completed each appellant will be notified of the outcome.
Ned O'Keeffe
Question:197 Mr. N. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if an additional milk quota will be allocated to a person (details supplied) in County Cork who is the holder of a green certificate. [3939/03]
My Department has not received an application for additional quota from the person named. I understand the named person is not a quota holder and therefore would not qualify for consideration by the milk quota appeals tribunal. The tribunal is a body established to consider and advise on applications for additional quota from individual producers who have suffered extreme hardship as a result of the milk quota system. However, the named person may be eligible for a new entrant allocation under the milk quota restructuring scheme if he satisfies certain criteria in relation to age, education, etc. This scheme is operated on behalf of my Department by co-operatives and dairies and I recently announced some changes for the 2003-04 quota year. These will allow a qualified young person to purchase a new entrant quota allocation and set up as a milk producer in their own right on their parents' holding provided they form a milk production partnership together. Full details of this scheme will be published in the near future.